Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1887-11-12
For the Orange County Observer
Mr.. EDITOR I read with inter-

MR.. EDITOR / reaO Win lnteF-
est a communication in a recent
issue OF your paper with reference
TO valuable tobacco lands III and in
juxtaposi,ion to Chapel Hill town
ship, and that tobacco was The only
product that the farmer could raise
that would defy competition, for
that, grains, hogs, sheep aud cattle
could be raised in other portions of
our common country at cheaper
rates. delivered at our doors. AS
to the first proposition, I have not a
word TO say, beyond this, l believe
that the lands referred 10 are pecu-
liarly adapted to the productions OF
fine yellow tobacco /; but | happily
concur with the latter part of the
proposition, Which l kuoao to be
true. We do buy our flour, our
meat, and at no distant day, will
boy our mutton and beef from a
Northern market. This, we all are
necessarily compelled 10 admit. II
is a selfevident truth, beyond con-
tradiction. North Carolina is an
agricultural State, aud upon her re.
sources as such, depends greatly her
prosperity. How can this be posi-
BILE when we look at the facts as
they really do exist-Northern mar
kets for nearly everything we eat !!
Much could be said in praise OF
the lucid and intelligent, common
sense views taken on this particular
subject by the editor OF the Scot
land Neck Democrat, however diff
terent | may entertain of other
views he has seen fit 10 present for
public consideration. Facts are
facts, and we can't fairly get around
them without elimination.
| read with much pleasure the IN.
teresting article OF Commissioner
Robinson in the October issue Of
"The Bulletin" published at Raj
eigh, n. c., and from it l quote the
following I'VE farmers need not
expect any great success in farming
until We produce more stock, es
pecially hogs and CATTLE The Com.
missioner certainly meant for the
best, and his advice will be we'll re-
ceived by the farmers OF the State !;
but in doing so, l fear he has placed
himself Unexpectedly into dilemma.
What he advises is obstructed in the
outset. How can we raise sheep,
hogs and cattle under what is known
as the fence law? Is i. possible for
the torch and the hay-stack to dwell
together in harmony-each one sep.
arately subsistingr Is it possible
to make inroads upon nature and
claim a s%heltering protection from
It's unerring cycles? Can man re-
model the nature OF sheep, cattle
and hogs? Will not a compromise
OF the two extremes-wide range
and close conference.-the the bet.
ter? The one, the less costly. the
other, the most expensive. All ex-
perience, even from our earliest
fathers, convinces that the middle
ground has invariably proven TO be
the best in this as in all other things.
Now, to say, as the Commissioner
would have Us do, raise our hogs
and cattle with stock.laws crowdinp
the State by legislative enactments.
amounts 10 saying 10 fact as the
late lamented DR.. James Phillips of
the University used to say, "that
you q do no such thing"-impos-
s'ble things at most are impossible
possible in the hereafter. The
trainers of II amended Constitn.
ton OF 1873, contemplated no such
state of things in North Carolina
when they provided "for the AIDE
quate protection and ENCOURAGE.
ment OF sheep husbandry." Their
intention was TO better the agricul-
tural interests of our State and TO
place specially in the Constitution
the protection of sheep husbandry
and upon which, after Legislatures
might build wholesome laws to that
ena. But what do We End Aer;.
cultural depar,ments-Agricultural
papers-high sounded words ard
exr'e''ves and no-fence laws speck.
ing the State, even to such An extent
as to include part Of the mountains
of North Carolina, from which heat
ed partisan discussions and personal
chickering's have arisen. What oil
the Constitution of 1875? The only
provided for sheep busbandry in
all our laws is from the Revised
Code of North Carolina, lS54-pen.
atty for having a sheep killing dog.
dogs, We can have plenty. Sheep.
aud cattle are starved and
Killed out by legislative enactments.
What a spectacle !
BRACE UP.
VA